Immortal Illusion
by Babetteisawesome
Summary: First in my "Immortal" series. When humans start to disappear all over New York, the penguins are visited by a mysterious figure. The hysteria is building, even amongst the animals, as the death rates increase. Then, three mysterious humans arrive at the zoo, claiming they can help. The enemy is something the penguins have never faced before...the supernatural.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I'm back again!****To all of the people who read and reviewed 'The Chaos Around Us' and liked it, thanks so much. You're all so supportive.**

**Warning: This story is very different from that one, and a little darker. Blame my brother for making me watch "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" the other night. Literally, he forced me to watch it.****Don't be too concerned, this isn't too dark. It is M rated though, so be warned for language...and some themes.**

...

_Chapter 1_

The flickering lights of the TV illuminated the HQ that evening. Skipper, after taking a sip of fish-coffee, barked in annoyance, "Private! Turn that thing down!" _For God's sake, how can he have it up so loud? _

The youngest penguin whirled around to him. "Sorry sir" he replied, quickly turning the sound down.

The leader sighed in bliss, closing his eyes, before they snapped open again, in confusion. The fleeting glance he had had at the television screen, had not shown the usual brightly coloured 'Lunicorns' that Private was fascinated by.

He waddled closer to the screen, and watched the scene unfold. A newswoman stood outside a building, holding a microphone. Skipper snatched the remote from the younger penguin's flipper, and turned up the sound. Confused, Private started, "Sir, I thought…"

He was shushed by the leader, and immediately turned his attention to the television. The newswoman was raising her voice, competing with the sounds of police sirens. "As you can see, Chuck, another mysterious murder has occurred. In the exact same way as the first three. Like the others a few weeks ago, this victim was young and healthy, and police tell me there were two puncture wounds in its body, and the victim had been drained of its blood" she said.

The screen split, and Chuck Charles appeared back in the news studio. He asked, tapping his earpiece, "So," he chuckled, "You're saying we're dealing with a vampire, Nora?" he questioned in disbelief.

Rico, who had been playing with Miss Perky in a far corner of the room, snapped his head up. "Vapire!" he babbled, meaning 'vampire'. He belly-slid up to the television, and continued to watch with the other penguins.

The newswoman, Nora, continued, "Well Chuck, maybe not. You see, police also discovered a tuft of what looked like wolf fur at the scene, and also a few spots of a mysterious liquid." Then, she held onto her earpiece, listened for a few minutes, and then said into the microphone, "Breaking news! The tests for the substance have been done. It appears to be some kind of strange venom," despite the situation, she joked, "Maybe we're dealing with a supernatural allegiance here, Chuck."

Skipper pressed a button on the remote, and the TV abruptly returned to black. He waddled away, placing the remote on the concrete table, "Well, I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't have anything to do with us."

"But Skipper, it might. What…what if those things come to the zoo?" inquired Private, standing up.

As if on cue, Kowalski emerged from his lab. Having heard the news report himself, he shook his head, an amused smile playing across his beak. The tall penguin answered, "Private. Science has proven that there is no evidence of the supernatural playing a part in today's modern society." When given a confused look by the youngest penguin, he sighed and said simply, "Things like vampires and werewolves don't exist."

Skipper nodded, "See. Even if this _was_ our problem, we have nothing to worry about" he added. Even though he nodded, Private was not entirely convinced.

Late that night, he lay in his bunk, holding his 'Lunicorn' plush toy, close. Images, terrifying images, ran through his mind, overpowering the little penguin and twisting his sense of safety, until he realised that it was just his brain playing tricks. Private tightened his grip around his toy, "It's okay. L-Like Kowalski s-said, there's n-no such th-things as m-monsters" he muttered, trying to calm himself.

All of a sudden, three deafening knocks on erupted from outside the HQ. The smallest penguin felt cold spikes of fear shoot down his spine, as his body instantly tensed, his heart rate speeding up. Shivering, he placed his toy carefully on his pillow, and waddled up to the metal bowl to answer the knocking.

Sliding it aside, Private raised his head out of the small hole, and gasped, instantly trembling harder. A figure dressed in a long, blood red cloak stood in front of him. The figure was about as tall as King Julian, with a feminine body shape. She spoke, and her voice was soft and beautiful, "Hello. Tell your team that the deaths on the news certainly are their problem. Tell them of me, and show them this as proof" she said. Before Private could ask, she tore off a piece of her long red cloak, handing it to him.

When he took the piece of cloth, the young penguin realised that the mysterious animal had paws. They looked like dainty fox paws, expect they were purple with blue around the tips, and she had tiny black claws, like most foxes. He stared at the cloth in his hand, as if he was transfixed by it, and then asked, "Who are you?"

The fox replied, "I hope you find out." No sooner had that been said, and then she ran across the ice-flow, and jumped off the railing.

Private belly-slid out of the hole, "Wait! Please stop!" he called. He shot out of the penguin habitat, and saw the cloaked fox running away. The little penguin chased after her on his belly, watching the red cape fly behind her like a banner.

He sped up, wanting to get close enough to pounce on her, but she soon went around a corner. Private zipped after her, only to the find that, when he had reached the corner, that she had disappeared!

The youngest penguin looked up at the starless night sky, and then around himself, at the dark zoo. He could have sworn what he had heard on the news was a dream.

He could have sworn that meeting the mysterious fox was a dream.

If it was not for the piece of blood red cloth clasped in his flippers.

...

**Now, it's very important that you review as soon as possible, because I would like people to let me know if I should continue this story. 'Cause I'm not going to continue if nobody's reading it.**

**Do you like it so far? Please tell me.**

**I'll see you soon,**

**Babetteisawesome.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Private awoke the next morning to the sound of the familiar voice of his leader, "Rise and shine boys!" he barked. The youngest penguin shot up from his bed immediately, attempting to act natural. He was quick to salute his superior as usual, before going to make himself breakfast.

It was as he sat down with his fish sandwich, that his façade was broken. The news program from the night before, was on a replay. The mysterious fox's words from the night echoed in his mind. '_Tell your team that the deaths on the news are certainly their problem_'.

Kowalski, having noticed the small penguin's change of character, inquired, coming to sit beside him. "Is something the matter, Private?"

He shook his head, "N-No Kowalski" he lied, smiling nervously. But then, he sighed. _She told me to tell them. So I have to tell them_. Private took a deep breath, stood from his 'seat', and spoke, "Um, could I have everyone's attention?" he asked timidly.

The rest of the penguins turned to him, and Skipper smiled, "Shoot little Private" he answered.

The small penguin nodded, took another deep breath, and stammered. "So, you know all those mysterious d-deaths that have b-been on the news? Well, we got a visit from someone last night, a fox that stood on her back legs, and she t-told me that the deaths are our problem. She obviously thought we could h-help." He was usually never so timid in front of the friends, but feeling their eyes on him just added a whole lot more pressure.

There was silence, until Skipper broke out in laughter, "Good one Private!" he said. Only more silence met the laughter, and the leader's amusement faded, "Wait. You were _serious_?" he asked in shock.

Private nodded, and idea coming to him, "Yeah," he waddled over to his bunk, and pulled out the piece of blood red cloth, "Here. She gave me this and told me to show it to you as proof" he continued.

He handed the cloth to Kowalski, who quickly sniffed and licked it. Turning to Skipper, he confirmed, "Sir, Private is telling the truth. This cloth clearly belonged to a female fox…but her scent is _very_strange."

The leader narrowed his eyes and jumped up from his place, "She must be a spy, then! She must be helping whoever is behind these murders!" he exclaimed.

Private commented, "I wonder who it is?"

Skipper muttered under his breath, "Blowhole."

Kowalski rolled his eyes, "Sir, has it ever occurred to you that Blowhole might _not_ be behind _every single_ strange thing that happens?" he questioned rhetorically.

"No. But, for arguments sake, we should go and check out these victims" answered the leader.

Private interjected, "But Skipper, we don't even know if there's been another murder" he pointed out.

As if on cue, a female voice came from behind them, "You should go to the alley behind the fifth building on Main Street. A body will be there" she said. Then, the cloaked fox stepped from the shadows.

Private jumped back, "H-How did you get in here?!" he asked in shock.

Skipper growled, "Men, we've had a security breech."

The fox laughed kindly. It was an almost musical sound, "Relax, dear penguin. I got in here by my own accord. Now, go to the address I told you to, if you really want to inspect one of the victims" she explained. Then, she placed her front paws together, and a burst of blinding white light flashed. After it disappeared, the fox was nowhere to be seen.

The penguins arrived at the alley, and Private immediately clung to Skipper's side as they entered. His eyes darted around nervously. It was dark, and it smelled damp, like recently fallen rain. Old boxes and crates were piled against the wooden fences, and the grass was brown and wet. Even though it was the morning, the sky was pale and grey, which made the alley seem even more frightening.

All of a sudden, Skipper whispered, pointing to a limp figure lying on the ground not too far away. "I found our victim, men."

The penguins belly slid over, and Skipper waddled even closer to the victim. It was a healthy, young woman, with slightly torn clothing. However, what caught his attention the most, was the fang puncture wound in her neck.

All of a sudden, a low, deep animalistic growl came from in front of them. Then, to everyone's terror, a gigantic wolf-like creature stepped from the shadows. It was about the same height as an eighteen year old human, and muscular. Its claws were long and jagged, and its teeth looked as sharp as razors. But, two teeth in particular were slightly longer and seemed sharper than the rest. They were vampire-like fangs!

It bared its fangs and growled again, licking its teeth before stepping closer. The penguins backed away slowly, all of their focus on the creature's steely yellow eyes. It snapped its jaws and barked, continuing to near the petrified birds.

Suddenly, something moved at lightning speed towards the demonic wolf. The creature was knocked aside, and a girl stood in its place. The teenager snarled, glowering at the wolf as it tried to stand back up, "Wanna fight?"

The creature charged towards her, but the girl did not seem afraid. She lunged at the wolf, slamming it to the ground on its stomach, and called while holding the creature down, "Now, Leah!"

In seconds, another teenage girl appeared from the shadows, and got behind the creature. Faster than lightning, she stabbed it with what looked like some kind of golden stake. Then, she stepped back, and the other girl let the strange wolf go. It twitched for a few seconds, before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

The penguins stared in shock. Skipper stepped forward, "Could someone explain what just happened?" he asked.

The human girls looked up at the same time, and were taken aback at first. However, understanding flashed in their eyes, as they both stepped further into the light.

The one that had first attacked the wolf, smirked, "You must be the 'help' that she sent. Hi" she said.

Private raised an eye ridge, "She?" he reaped curiously.

The teenager nodded, "Yeah," she gave a confused look, "Don't you know her? Fox? Long red cloak? Can do some really awesome magic?" she pressed.

Kowalski nodded, "Yes, we know her. Pardon me, but who exactly are you, and what did we just witness?" he questioned.

Another female voice came from behind the girl, "What you just witnessed, was Mina and I saving your ass." The girl, who was leant against one of the crate stacks, ran a hand through her long, slightly curly black hair, and glanced at them, her dark brown eyes twinkling in the small amount of light.

Skipper glowered at her. It was the human that had killed the wolf creature. The one that was named Leah. He turned to the other girl, "So, really, what was that thing?" he asked.

Mina replied, her eyes narrowing, "That was a Death-Wolf. Half vampire and half werewolf. They look like vampires most of the time, but they can change into their wolf form whenever they want." She brushed a strand of her long dirty blonde hair from eyes. All of a sudden, the penguins noticed something striking about the young girl's eyes. As difficult as it was for them to believe it, Mina's eyes irises were blood red.

All of a sudden, another girl stepped from the shadows. She looked at Mina, her light green eyes almost pleading, "C'mon, why didn't you let me fight?! I would have beaten that fucking prick to the ground!" she complained.

Mina responded, "'Cause you get too angry too easily in or after a fight, and we don't want you to phase, because then the Death-Wolf might mistaken you for his friend."

"What!? I do _not_get too angry in or after a fight!" objected the other girl.

As if to prove her point, Mina ruffled the teenager's short red hair, causing her to let out an animal-like growl. Then, the girl's eyes flashed golden.

Private took a step back, "She's…she's a…" he started.

Mina looked at him, "Oh, right. This," she gestured to the red haired girl, "Is Faith. She's half Death-Wolf. But don't worry, she's never killed anyone or anything like that."

The penguins looked at each other, and then at the three girls.

Clearly, things were just getting started.


	3. Chapter 3

**No reviews! I would really like some reviews please! Please tell me what you think of this story! I NEED TO KNOW! **

**The Death-Wolves, Faith, Leah, Mina and the cloaked fox, are all my own creations. Oh, and I also own this plot. **

**Disclaimer: However, The Penguins of Madagascar, as well as any of its characters, do not belong to me. I wish they did, but they don't. **

..._Chapter 3_

As the girls walked through the zoo gates, each one could practically feel the stares that they got. Obviously, it was not common for those penguins to bring lone humans to the zoo when it was closed.

As they passed one of the larger habitats, a peculiar smell caught Faith's attention. She stopped in her tracks, and Leah inquired in a hushed tone, "What is it?"

"Lemurs. They smell disgusting" she growled, wrinkling her nose. Lemurs, although she had no personal aversion to the cute animals, had an almost foul scent to creatures like wolves and dogs.

As if on cue, King Julian called out from his throne, "Well, hello ladies!"

Leah rolled her eyes and glowered up at him. _Great. The last thing I need is some weird lemur hitting on me. _

However, Julian seemed oblivious to her intentions. He jumped out of his habitat, landing on the ground in front of them. Seeing Faith, he grinned and brushed back the fur on his head. "Well, greetings pretty lady" he said, walking over.

Faith, disgusted not only by his scent, but his attitude, snarled, "Piss off."

The lemur king raised his eyebrows, "Er…what?" he asked, clearly bewildered. Why would a lady refuse to be admired by him?

Mina, coming up beside Faith, glared daggers at him, "Didn't you hear her, lemur!?" she snapped.

As King Julian continued to stare at the girls, Leah sneered from her position behind them, "Keep staring and I'll tear your fucking eyes out."

That seemed to the get the message across to the lemur. He nodded, shaking, and then jumped back into his habitat, muttering something about that fact that the girls were crazy.

Mina, having heard, glowered up at him, "You're lucky I don't feed on animals, lemur" she hissed.

Skipper, confused by her statement, questioned, "What? What do you mean?"

Private quivered, "You…you said you _didn't_ f-feed on animals, right?" he asked, hiding behind his superior.

Before Mina could answer, Marlene rushed up to them in a panic, "Guys! I heard you went to look at one of those murder victims! Are you alright?!" she asked.

Mina answered, "They're fine," she smirked, "Thanks to us."

The otter whirled around, noticing the human girls. Without taking her eyes off of them, she questioned, "Um…who are you? How can you understand me?"

Leah replied, "We have no clue. We've always been able to understand animals" she said smoothly. Then, giving a small smile, she introduced herself, as well as Faith and Mina.

Marlene nodded, "Well….it's nice to meet you" she said awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond. Second later, the otter returned to her habitat, leaving the group by themselves.

Suddenly, the sound of an elephant trumpet rang out through the zoo. The girls and penguins looked at Burt, who abruptly lowered his trunk once he gained everyone's attention. The elephant called, "New animal! A crate has just been dropped off at the warehouse!"

Skipper nodded, and turned to his team, "Men, we have a situation. We need to check out that crate ASAP" he ordered.

Faith crossed her arms, "Hey, what about us?" she snapped.

The leader sighed reluctantly, "Fine. You can tag along. Just don't get in our way" he answered.

The teenager growled low, her irises slowly turning golden, "Don't get in_ your_ way?! _We_ were the ones who saved _you_ from becoming that Death-Wolf's next victim!" she hissed.

Leah pursed her lips, "Ah, Skipper, I think you should apologise" she said.

"Why?" he asked, crossing his flippers.

She raised an eyebrow, "Do you_ want_ to have her phase and attack you?" she asked rhetorically.

Private hastily shook his head and hid further behind Skipper. "N-No" he answered, keeping his eyes wearily fixed on Faith.

The leader, seeing the younger penguin's fear, responded unenthusiastically, "Faith…I…I'm…"

She snarled, "Say it quickly, bird."

"I'm sorry" Skipper continued, having to restrain from physically gagging.

Faith nodded, and then took a few deep breaths. Her eyes returned to their normal light green, and she calmed down entirely. She looked at the penguins, "You were lucky I wasn't _really_ pissed off" she said.

When the group arrived at the warehouse, the penguins were overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu. Although the room was well lit, it still had a few dark spots, and was packed with crates and boxes. However, there was one crate in the very centre of the room that was larger than the rest, and had an animal sticker on it.

The penguins belly slid over, accompanied by the girls. Skipper snapped immediately, "Kowalski, analysis!"

The smart penguin nodded, and waddled closer. He sniffed the wood, and then turned to his leader. "Some kind of mammal, sir," he tapped the wood and sniffed it again, "I'd say a fox of some kind" he explained.

His superior narrowed his eyes, "Gender?" he asked. _It better not be that mystery fox again_.

The second-in-command replied, "Um, sir…it appears to be a female." Seeing his leader's distress, Kowalski added hurriedly, "It might not be our mysterious fox."

Faith replied impatiently, "Just get the damn thing open already!"

Rico, happy to do so, coughed up a crowbar. He raced towards the crate, stabbed the piece of metal into it, and opened it instantly.

The three girls stood there in shock, "What the fuck!?" they exclaimed in unison.

Leah inquired, "Um…is that normal?"

Skipper looked at her, "For Rico? Yep, perfectly normal" he answered.

Private spoke up, "W-Well, let's see if it's her" he stammered fearfully.

The group went over to the crate, and peered into the darkness. All they could see, was a fox slumped inside. Kowalski, seeing something, picked up a piece of a blood red cloak, "Sir…it's her" he said.

Leah smirked, "Genevieve…how was the trip?" she asked.

Skipper lunged into the crate, and pulled the fox out by her neck. Throwing her to the ground, her growled, "Let's see what you really look like, fox."

…

**What's she look like? What's going to happen next? I'm the author and I don't even know. **

**Like I said, please review everyone! I'm getting really worried that nobody likes my story so far, since I sort of came up with this while I was trying to get to sleep a few nights ago. Please tell me if you like it or not! **

**Bye for now, **

**- Babetteisawesome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**_VERY VERY IMORTANT NOTICE: _****After reading through my chapters so far, I have come across a few places where I think I can do better. Therefore, I will be looking at all of my chapters so far and making some changes, then re-uploading them with those changes. Nothing major. But, I will be checking my chapters several times before I upload them now, so expect some big delays in uploading. **

**'The Illusion' is my own creation. Oh, and, once again, so is: this plot, Mina, Faith, Leah and Genevieve. **

**Sorry this chapter is so long. It just turned out that way. **

….

_Chapter 4 _

The fox, Genevieve, narrowed her eyes at him. She hissed, "I don't think you should speak so rudely to me."

Skipper, unfazed by her warning, clutched her blood red cloak in his flippers. He replied, "Let's see how tough you are without this", before tearing it away.

Mina raised an eyebrow, "Careful Skipper…she's pretty pissed off" she said. _I don't need them getting killed or something. They're too important. _

The leader, once again, payed no attention. He glowered at the fox in front of him, forcing himself to ignore her beauty. She was slender, with well groomed dark purple fur, and dark purple rings around the edges of her paws, and ocean blue ones around her brilliant silver eyes. Her tiny black claws were out, and they looked very sharp.

Her ears flattened against her head, before she sneered, "I would have not chosen you, penguins, if I knew how utterly discourteous you all are."

The lead penguin rolled his eyes, "Quit the fancy talk, fox. Why are you here?" he asked, his impatience quickly mounting.

She growled, "I'm here to see if you need my help. I know you do. You don't know how to face The Illusion yet. You'll need to, though."

Faith stiffened, "The Illusion!?" she exclaimed. _Oh hell no. No, no, no! I thought they had nothing to do with Death-Wolves! _

Leah stepped forward, and she appeared calm. However, the two girls that flanked her, knew that she was just as dangerous standing still and supposedly calm, then she would be if she were screaming in rage. An angry fire burned in her eyes, "You…said…they wouldn't have _anything_ to _do with this_!" she roared, fists clenched.

Genevieve, despite the human's anger, remained perfectly calm. She started, "Leah, I simply didn't…"

The girl continued, fuming. "You _know_ what they did to me. You know what they _made_ me," she took a step forward, "But you," she moved closer, "Did," she advanced more, "Nothing" she sneered. _She knows full well what I've had to become because of them. Why don't I just kill her now? _At that moment, Leah could not think of one reason not to.

At an amazing speed, she lunged at the fox, only to be stopped by Skipper. The commando penguin pinned her to the ground. "Don't" he ordered, knowing her motives.

Leah, now fully enraged, roared, "Why the fuck not?! She's useless! She won't tell us anything! We don't need her like she claims we do!"

Private spoke up, "You ladies certainly do swear a lot" he commented.

The girl turned to him from her place on the ground, "You got a problem with that?" she snapped.

The young penguin answered meekly, cringing and slowly moving backwards, "No."

Genevieve stood up and brushed her fur, putting on her cloak. "Well, this is all very entertaining, but I actually _am_ here for a purpose" she said.

The black haired girl punched Skipper, throwing him off, and stood up. With almost impossible speed, she wrapped a hand around the fox's throat, "Why the hell should I believe anything you say?" she snapped.

She replied, remaining utterly tranquil, "Because only _I_ know how to defeat The Illusion."

Faith answered quickly, "Fine. We'll listen." _Anything to keep us safe. _

Leah glanced at her, giving her a look that screamed, '_we'll talk about this later'_, and reluctantly released the fox. _I can't believe she did that! Doesn't she know how dangerous Genevieve is? _

Mina clenched her fists, "How do we defeat The Illusion?" she snapped. _I hate those fuckers. She better know how to deal with them. _

Private raised his flippers, "Um, excuse me, but what's The Illusion?" he questioned. _I've never heard of _them_ before. I hope they're not too dangerous. _

If she was surprised by his lack of knowledge, Genevieve did not show it. Instead, she explained, "The Illusion is a…coven of sorts. Their coven is a mixture of Death-Wolves, vampires, and Demi-Demons. They got their name because they're the ones who make sure that supernatural secrets are not exposed to the human world, therefore creating an illusion of safety for the humans of this world."

Kowalski inquired, "If they rid the world of any supernatural trace, then how did we come across a Death-Wolf?"

Mina replied for her, "Because they went rouge. Years ago, a few members of The Illusion became too power-hungry, and rose up over the leader. Then, they convinced the other members of the coven to go against what they had been taught."

Skipper, by studying her expression, knew she was concealing something. He whispered, narrowing his eyes at her, "There's more."

"Yes. But I don't want to tell it" the blonde answered.

Faith, almost like she was protecting Mina from having to say more, said, "Skipper, you, Kowalski, Rico and Private are going to have train with us to fight The Illusion."

Skipper responded, "I still don't understand why we need to be involved in this!"

Genevieve answered, turning to him and locking her silver eyes with his. "You, _apparently_, are the most elite team of animals in the world" she drawled. Then, after receiving a cold glare from the penguin leader, she kept going, "Therefore, you make the perfect allies. Humans are forbidden from working with the girls and I, but,"

Leah interrupted, snarling, "Don't call it that. We have no tie to you, Genevieve."

The fox nodded, and then continued, "As I was saying. Humans are forbidden from working with us, but animals aren't. So, we could only work with an animal team."

The penguins looked at each other, nodded, and Private commented, "Well, that makes perfect sense."

Later that day, the penguins were sitting on their ice-flow, enthusiastically devouring their fish. The girls, meanwhile, seemed to eat nothing.

Skipper looked up from his fish, "Are you gonna eat or what?" he asked.

Faith shrugged, "Got anything for people?" she questioned. The leader tossed her a fish, and she replied, wrinkling her nose, "I meant _other then_ this! I can't stand fish!" She sighed. _I suppose it's better than nothing_. Closing her eyes, she broke the fish with her hands, and slowly chewed and swallowed each piece, having to stop herself from gagging.

Private turned to Mina, "Aren't you going to have something?" he inquired.

She shook her head, "Nah. Thanks anyway Private" she replied. The little penguin nodded, and then watched curiously at the events that followed. Mina's gaze flickered to Faith's neck, and Faith raised an eyebrow, giving her a look that seemed to say '_really? No way!_'.

Her friend pouted adorably, "Please! I haven't drunk since the Death-Wolf attack" she pleaded.

The half-breed sighed, "Fine. Don't suck for too long this time, though. I got a headache last time" she answered.

The blonde nodded, and then led her to a shady side of one of the habitats. Private, confused, snuck away from the group, and followed the girls.

He saw Faith standing straight facing Private, with her neck exposed to Mina. Luckily, neither of them had noticed him yet. The red haired girl closed her eyes, "You know how wrong this looks, right?"

Mina laughed softly, "Relax Faith. We're not, you know, _lesbians_ or anything. Besides, the only reason I'm doing this is because you're the only one who can, and will, give me blood. When I asked Leah all those years ago, she said no. Trust me, drinking from you is always a last resort" she answered.

Faith sighed, "Aww, I thought we had something special" she teased light-heartedly.

Mina replied, lowering her voice to sound more intimidating, "You don't want to say that to someone who's so close to your neck." She swallowed hard, before asking, her voice back to normal, "You ready, Faith?" _Oh fuck, that just sounded so wrong in so many ways. _

She answered, "Yeah. But just think about how that sounded for a second."

Her friend wrinkled her nose, "Really?! Do you have to make everything so dirty!?" she asked rhetorically.

Faith gave her signature smirk, "Yes. Yes I do" she replied.

The blonde smirked as well, and then swallowed hard again, "Really though, are you ready?" she asked, her tone laced with concern. Her eyes were glazed with worry. _I don't want her to feel overwhelmed. That's not good for her._

Faith nodded, "Yep," she answered, and braced herself. Apparently, the bite of her kind was pure euphoria, but, for some reason, it made her feel uncomfortable.

She clenched her fists, and then felt it.

Mina's tiny fangs sunk into her neck. It felt like two knives cutting her skin, and yet she did not feel any pain. Then, the blonde started to suck, and Faith bit her lip in an attempt to keep still at the uncomfortable sensation. She knew her blood was being sucked out of her, but it felt exactly like _water_ being rushed _into_ her. Her veins tingled, and her entire body felt like jets of water were quickly flooding it.

Then, the feeling was abruptly stopped as the fangs were pulled from her flesh. Faith gasped for breath, and glanced at her friend, "You full?" she asked.

She nodded, quickly wiping the remaining spots of blood from her lips, her tiny fangs gleaming in the light. She kept them hidden inside her mouth, until she needed to use them (or if she wanted to scare people).

All of a sudden, she spied Private watching them. Smiling nervously and concealing her fangs, she said, "It…it wasn't what it looked like."

The young penguin said nothing, but instead belly slid away as fast as possible.

He came to a stop in front of the rest of the penguins. His eyes were wide, and his flippers shook, "G-Guys! M-Mina is a vampire!" he cried.

Kowalski raised an eyebrow, "Private. Like I said before, vampires don't exist," he replied.

Leah pursed her lips, and grimaced. _Don't do it_, her mind warned, _Don't betray her_. However, she refused to listen. The girl took a deep breath, and countered, "You're wrong. Mina's a vampire."

Later that night, Skipper attempted to sleep in his bunk, but to avail. Even his earphones did nothing to drum out the noise of the lemurs' music that pounded from the nearby habitat. His anger reaching his peak, the penguin left the HQ, and waddled across the ice-flow. However, his intention to reprimand the lemurs was forgotten at a particular sight. In the distance, covered by the shade of one of the habitats, were Leah and Genevieve, who was wearing her cloak again. _Why does she constantly keep that thing on? _

Meanwhile, Leah was glaring, fuming, at the fox. She growled, "Why are you_ really_ here?"

The fox's silver eyes shone in the darkness as she replied, pushing back the hood of her cloak. "I am here to do what I came to. Help you girls and those penguins," she answered.

The black haired human scoffed, "Nice try" she responded. Literally faster then it took to blink, she had her around the throat, and slammed her against the habitat wall. "Talk," she commanded in a low growl.

Genevieve smirked, "Well, I see you finally lost your temper. I was seeing how long it would take you" she said.

Leah sneered, reaching into her pocket with the other hand, where she kept her golden stake, "Then you'll know very well that I could slit your fucking throat and wouldn't feel any remorse."

"Now, let's not be too hasty. I'm here for the exact purpose that I told the penguins, you silly girl" replied the fox, her smile turning smug. Then, she wrapped her paws around Leah's wrist, and her eyes flashed a far more luminescent silver.

In milliseconds, the human girl felt a current of electricity rush through her body. It felt like a static shock, but ten times worse. Leah cradled her now marked hand to her chest, "Shit!" she yelled through gritted teeth.

Genevieve, who had just landed back on the ground, replied, still remaining perfectly calm, "You should really control your temper, Leah. Otherwise, I might just be tempted to really hurt you. Remember, although you're cursed, I can still easily hurt you."

Leah roared, at her very peak of rage, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO PUT ME UNDER THIS FUCKING CURSE, YOU BITCH!"

The fox looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Really now Leah, you _must_ watch your language" she responded. Then, without another word, Genevieve calmly walked away.

…...

**Dun dun dun!**

**Please review everyone! More than ever now, I need to know if people like this story or not!**

**I'll see you all soon, **

** - Babetteisawesome. **


	5. Chapter 5

**_URGENT! GREAT HELP NEEDED!_**

**Hello there everyone. Look, I need your help. I'm thinking of possibly paring a male OC of mine with one of the girls, in another book in this series. One problem though…I have no idea which of the girls I'm going to pair him with! Please help me…I call out for your friendly guidance! Which one of the girls would you like to see fall in love? The most popular answer will be the one I have. I WILL BE HINTING AT THAT GIRL WANTING LOVE, IN PARTS IN THIS BOOK, SO PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ASAP! **

**Thank you all in advance for all your help! I love you all so much! **

…

_Chapter 5_

Skipper rose from his sleep at the break of dawn the next morning. He had managed to deal with the noise of the lemur's music, because the earphones had managed to stifle the sound after a while.

Private rubbed his eyes, "Sir, do we really have to wake up so early?" he asked.

The leader replied, "Absolutely! We need to be on our game if we want to be successful in today's training." _We aren't going to be shown up by a bunch of girls. _

The team assembled quickly on the ice-flow, and Private could not help but lean on Kowalski's shoulder in fatigue. He had only seconds to relax, before his superior hissed, "Private! Pay attention!"

The small penguin bolted upright, instantly saluting him, "Yes sir! Sorry sir!" he answered.

Rico looked around, and looked at his leader, and babbled something in gibberish, his tone one of confusion.

Skipper answered, scratching his beak, "No Rico, I don't know where the girls are."

Meanwhile, Mina awoke, lying on the park bench outside the zoo. She had spent the night there, with Faith and Leah. They were used to sleeping in unusual places, and knew that they had to stay close to the penguins.

The vampire gazed at her sleeping friends, and smirked. Being a vampire, she only needed a few hours of sleep, and always made it her jobs to watch over her friends as they slept. Mina tapped Leah on the shoulder, "Hey. It's time to wake up" she whispered.

The black haired girl nodded, and slowly opened her eyes. She yawned, and replied groggily, using Faith's nickname, "Well, we better wake up the wolf-girl."

Faith slept peacefully next to her, and as soon as she was touched, she awoke. The half-breed yawned, stretched, and scratched her hair. Still half asleep, she asked, "What time is it?"

Mina replied after glancing at the sky to confirm, "Dawn."

The hybrid whispered, "For God's sake, do we really have to get up so early?"

The vampire looked around, searching for someone. She inquired to no one in particular, "Where's Genevieve?"

Leah snarled, "Hopefully far away from us."

Faith looked at her, "What was up with you yesterday?!" she questioned, referring to her tension with the fox. She added, throwing her hands up, "You were _ferocious_ with her! I've never seen you like that before."

The black haired girl stood and, not making eye contact, replied, "We need to get going. The penguins will be waiting for us."

They arrived at the penguin habitat soon after, and Leah instantly stiffened. She suppressed a growl of rage, and her look of surprise. _She's here!? I was almost confident that she would ditch us! _

Mina looked at her, "Could you just forget about the fact that you seem to hate her guts for just _five minutes_, Leah!?" she asked.

"Nope. Not possible" she answered. But, she followed her friends closer to the habitat anyway.

Genevieve, who was inside the habitat, greeted them politely, "Good morning" she said sweetly. The fox was dressed in her cloak as usual, but the hood was drawn back.

Faith smiled, "Morning Gen" she replied.

Leah only responded by scowling so coldly at the fox, that she actually lost her composure for a few seconds. But, the fox regained it quickly and cleared her throat, turning to the penguins, who were standing at attention. "Alright, the most important thing to remember when fighting The Illusion," she narrowed her eyes, "Never let your guard down, not even for a second" she said.

Private raised a flipper, "Excuse me, but is that possible?" he asked.

Skipper smacked him on the back of the head, "Of course it is! Don't ask such stupid questions, Private" he reprimanded.

"Sorry sir" answered the young penguin, rubbing the back of his head.

Mina clenched her fists. _Don't tell them. Don't. Let Genevieve train them. They can't know about you. You'll lose their trust. _

Faith, noticing her friend's distress, put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her gaze softened, "It's okay. We don't have to tell them anything" she said.

Genevieve did not seem to notice the exchange between the two girls, and continued speaking. "The Illusion aren't like anything else you penguins would have encountered. They don't fall just by being kicked and punched. They need to be slain with special devices."

Skipper questioned, turning his attention to the three girls, "Why haven't you just dealt with them?"

Leah replied, "'Cause there are way too many for us to fight alone."

Genevieve nodded, and continued, "We need your help, penguins. The Illusion have not been a problem for many years, but now things have gotten out of hand. At first, they simply refused to keep supernatural happenings secret, but now they have started killing people."

Kowalski inquired, "The Death-Wolf that we encountered was one of The Illusion?"

The fox answered, "Yes," she turned to Skipper, "You and your team will be working alongside us, to vanquish The Illusion for good." She reached into her cloak, and added, "To do that, you'll need to be trained in using specific items." Genevieve pulled out what looked like a small silver dagger that was exactly the correct size for an animal to use, "This is a Guardian Sword. It was once used by Guardians," she paused for a minute, "To slay Death-Wolves" she explained.

Rico babbled something in gibberish, and Private translated, "He asked what a Guardian is."

The fox was about to answer, when Leah did so. Taking a deep breath, the girl answered, "A Guardian is someone, usually a superhuman of sorts, who is trained to fight and kill Death-Wolves."

Kowalski scoffed, "Alright, this is getting ridiculous. There is no scientific evidence of super-humans in the world" he countered.

She replied, "There are super-humans Kowalski. But no, they're not born with their powers like in the movies. The only real way you can become a super-human is if you chose to become one," she glared at Genevieve, "or if,"

The fox interrupted hastily, "That's not really relevant. Look, I need to teach you about all available weapons, as quickly as possible." She gestured to the dagger, "Now, you're probably thinking that this doesn't really look like a sword. Well," she snapped her wrist, and the dagger extended to the size of a sword, that was the right size for her, with black engravings on it, "As you can see, it is. Guardians carry the weapon in the small size of a dagger, but extend it when it needs to be used. That way, it's easy to carry, and inconspicuous" she clarified.

Skipper smirked, "Sweet! When are we gonna get to use _that_!?" he asked enthusiastically.

Faith matched his expression, "You'll love it. It's freaking awesome. We've had to use one to kill a few Death-Wolves" she added.

Private raised an eye ridge, "How have you used them? It's animal sized" he said.

She answered, "It's normally big enough for a person, but Genevieve must have shrunk a few down so that you could use them to."

The fox took a deep breath, "Alright penguins, let's see what you've got. Practice with the Guardian Swords" she instructed, tossing one to each penguin.

That night, Mina was awake on the park bench, when she suddenly heard a rustling sound in the trees. Alarmed, the vampire used her enhanced speed to race up to the tree, snatch the stranger, and pin them to the grass. Upon seeing a familiar face, she question in shock, "Private! What the bloody hell are you doing?!"

The little penguin answered, trembling, "I…I want to know something, M-Mina."

She replied, "What?"

He took a deep breath, "Why were you so quiet in today's training? You looked afraid" he responded.

Mina let him go, and stood up. "Promise me something, first. Promsie you won't tell anyone unless you have to" she said.

"Sure" Private answered.

The vampire nodded, and did not meet his gaze. She sighed, and confessed,

"Private…I…I used to be one of The Illusion."


	6. Chapter 6

**I have received no replies to my request for help! Please do that as soon as you can everyone, so that I may have some help. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE! REVIEW! **

**P.S: Sorry this chapter is a bit short. **

….

_Chapter 6 _

Private gasped, his heartbeat speeding up as he stepped back instinctively. _That's how she knows so much about them._

The vampire's gaze flickered to his, her blood red eyes shining in the darkness. She did not look at him directly, and shame coated every syllable as she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I should I have told you all sooner."

He smiled softly, his natural sympathy taking hold. "It's alright Mina. You were protecting yourself" he answered.

_But I should have been protecting all of you_. She forced a smile, "Look Private. You should go and tell the rest of the penguins" she told him. The young penguin began to object, but Mina shook her head, "Forget what I said. Tell them. They deserve to know" she answered.

The small penguin nodded, although he quickly asked in a hushed tone, "Are…are you sure?" She nodded, and Private belly slid away to tell his friends, although the trepidation was obvious on his face. _Once Skipper hears about this, he'll jump to the worst conclusion. _

As expected, the leader did indeed assume the worst. He leapt from his seat at the table, "I knew it! She's a spy! A spy for The Illusion!" he cried. Before anyone could tell him otherwise, Skipper ordered, "We need to get her to tell us what she knows! Either that or," he turned to Rico, and smirked darkly, "We'll send her on a little trip, won't we Rico."

Private shook his head, "No guys! I'm sure she's not a spy!" he objected.

His superior glowered, "Really? How are you _sure_?" he asked.

A familiar female voice came from behind them, "He's sure because he's telling the truth" she said, dropping down from the entrance hole.

Private whirled around, "G-Genevieve" he stammered.

She smiled sweetly, "Relax. I'm just here to say that the small penguin is right. Mina is indeed an ex-member of The Illusion" she explained.

Skipper took a step forward, "How to do you know so much about them?" he questioned suspiciously.

She laughed behind a paw, "Oh Skipper. I've been working with them for years, of _course_ I know everything about them" she responded.

Kowalski commented, "If I'm correct in my observations, Leah doesn't seem like she is terribly pleased with you."

The fox became nervous, but it vanished so quickly that it only lasted a fleeting moment. "Yes. Leah," she hesitated for a moment, "Is naturally suspicious of people she doesn't know too well" she answered.

Private replied, "But you said that you'd been working with them for years."

Genevieve hesitated once more, frantically working to come up with an explanation._ Stupid nosy penguins. If they just stopped asking questions, then things will go perfectly. _Not getting any ideas, the fox sighed and put a paw to her head, faking a headache. "Look, I'm quite tired. I think I'll go lie down" she said.

She opened the 'Private's 1st Prize' door, and was about to walk out, when Skipper snatched one part of her cloak. "Wait" he commanded with a growl.

The fox glanced at him over her shoulder, "Whatever for?" she asked, with pretend innocence.

The lead penguin spun her around to face him, "Because we need the truth" he snarled.

A sly smile appeared on Genevieve's mouth. She narrowed her silver eyes, "You want the truth? Fine" she answered. She clasped her paw around Skipper's flipper, digging her razor sharp claws into it. The leader scoffed, "Is that the best you…ah! Shit!" he cried, stumbling back. The fox had used her magic to create the same electrical shock that she had given to Leah, only more intense.

Genevieve smirked, "Problem, Skipper?" she teased.

The leader growled, "Men…get her" he sneered.

_Idiots_. Appearing calm, she waited for them to get closer.

Meanwhile, Faith was speaking to Mina in the park. She had woken up when she had seen Mina with Private. She put a hand on her shoulder, "You really told him?" she asked.

The vampire nodded, "Yep. He said he'd tell the rest of the penguins" she replied.

"You're…you're okay with that?" questioned her friend. After receiving a nod, she asked, "Did you tell them about me?"

"No. But they'll figure it out. I mean, how else do they expect for us to have met?" replied Mina.

Leah, who had been sleeping underneath a tree, asked, half-asleep "Hey, have either of you seen the penguins?"

Both girls shook their head, and Mina said, "But I think I saw Genevieve go into their HQ a little while ago."

Fear shot through the black haired girl as she bolted up from the grass, now fully awake. _Oh God. I've got a bad feeling about this_.

Her friends looked at each other, each thinking the same thing. When Leah was worried about something, it meant it was important. Really important. With that in mind, the girls raced off, following her to the penguin habitat.

...

**Cliffhanger! **

**Please review everyone! I might have the next chapter uploaded later today. Oh, and I might even have the entire first book finished and uploaded today!**

**See you soon, **

**- Babetteisawesome. **


	7. Chapter 7

**OH MY GOD I GOT A REVIEW! Thank you ten thousand times, to Megatreeko for my first review of this story! **

…

_Chapter 7_

As they arrived at the penguin habitat, the girls realised that it was eerily quiet. The penguin habitat was completely deserted.

Leah, body tense and ridged, asked in a hushed tone, "Mina, can you hear anything?"

The vampire listened for a few moments, and then shook her head, "No. Even the HQ is quiet", she answered. _I hope everyone's alright. I'm not sure what, but there's something off about Genevieve. _

As if on cue, something shot out from the fishbowl entrance. It hit the bowl, and then landed with a resounding 'thump', on the ice. The figure was a penguin, and a familiar one… Skipper. Genevieve, practically cackling with laughter, emerged next. She jumped out of the entrance, and grinned malevolently down at the leader, "I _did_ warn you not to approach me" she said.

The girls were about to move to assist Skipper, when Mina noticed the rest of the penguins. She signalled for her friends to stop. Private, Kowalski and Rico excited the fishbowl entrance, and instantly pounced on Genevieve, knocking her to the ground.

The fox gasped at the impact, and struggled in their hold. All of a sudden, she smirked, "You fools. Do you really think that will be all it takes?" she questioned. Seconds later, the penguins were thrown off by the fox's magic. She stood, and brushed her fur, "Well, this has all been _very_ entertaining" she said, sinisterness lacing her tone.

Leah glowered at her, "That's enough Genevieve!" she snapped.

The fox turned to her and smirked, "Oh, and what are you going to do dear, kill me?" she taunted.

The human girl smiled sadistically, "That's actually very tempting" she replied.

Genevieve laughed bitterly and replied, "Go ahead. You always have been a merciless killer."

"That's to people who deserve it. You're at the top of my list" hissed Leah.

The fox jumped out of the penguin habitat, and landed in front of the girls. She scoffed, "Do it," she locked eyes with Faith, "Just don't let the _freak_ touch me. She's an abomination" she said.

The half-breed let out an animalistic snarl of anger. "_What_ did you just call me!?" she roared, irises flashing golden.

Mina yelled in fear, knowing what would happen, "Faith, no! Don't do it!"

But it was too late. Faith changed right before their eyes. All in a matter of milliseconds, she transformed completely. Her body became exactly like that of a wolf, and her red hair grew to turn into fur. Her eye colour changed to golden, and two of her teeth elongated to become vampire fangs. Then, she grew to the size of an eighteen year old human.

She had phased into a Death-Wolf.

Faith growled and barked. Then, she lunged towards Genevieve, fangs bared, ready to kill if need be. The fox simply smiled, and leapt up from the ground, jumping over the enraged half-breed and landing behind her. Genevieve smirked darkly, and used her electrical magic to strike her in one of her hind legs. However, the power was intensified greatly, so it sent several shocks throughout Faith's body, causing her to yelp and whimper, like a frightened puppy. _Holy fuck that hurt!_

Faith stumbled, momentarily disoriented by the harm the magic had caused her. Instinctively, she remained still for a while to let the effects of the magic wear off.

Mina and Leah grabbed Genevieve, each holding her so tightly that there was no chance of escape, until they received the same treatment by magic, as their friend. However, this caused the girls to collapse to the ground in unconsciousness.

Skipper groaned, quickly opening his eyes and clearing his blurred vision. Observing the scene before him, the commando penguin leapt out of the penguin habitat. However, as he frantically searched for any trace of Genevieve, he quickly realised that she had disappeared. _Shit! Where'd she go?! _

All of a sudden, Faith stood up and shook her head. Seeing no immediate danger, the half-breed swiftly phased back into her normal human self. Fortunately for the penguins, her clothes were still on and intact. She spied Leah and Mina still unconscious, and rushed over to them, and knelt down beside them. "Oh my God," she looked at Skipper, "Did Genevieve do this?" she snapped.

The leader nodded, "Did you see where she went?" he asked.

Faith shook her head, and shook Leah, and then Mina, telling them both to wake up. After repeating the process for a while, the half-breed noticed, to her relief, a change in their state. Mina's eyes fluttered, before slowly opening. She groaned, "That hurt like hell" she muttered. Her eyes were cloudy with the after-effects of the electrical shock. _I didn't know Genevieve's magic was so powerful. _

All of a sudden, Leah's eyes gradually opened, and she placed a hand on her head, "Fuck. I can't believe I fell for that" she muttered.

Faith smiled, "Oh thank God you're alright" she said.

Her friends sat up slowly, and Mina asked, "Where's Genevieve?"

Private answered, coming out of the habitat with the rest of the penguins. "She disappeared in a bright flash of light."

Leah groaned, "She used her magic. Who _knows_ where she is now!" she said. _She could be in Mexico by now! _

Kowalski asked, waddling closer to her, "Pardon my inquiry, but how to do you know so much about Genevieve?"

She sighed. _I have to tell them…they deserve it after all they've done for us_, her mind told her. The girl replied, not meeting anyone's gaze, "Genevieve…she cursed me. Years ago, when I was officially sixteen. As in, I'm immortal now, so I'm sixteen forever. I," she let out another heavy sigh, "I'll tell you the whole story, if you want."

Private urged softly, "Please do."

Leah nodded, and took a deep breath.

_The weather was incredibly chilly on that particular winter's night. She was hurrying home to her family, dressed in layers of warm clothing to keep herself from freezing. Her long black hair blew behind her like cape, and she attempted to further pull down her hat as the icy wind bit at her flesh. _

_Rubbing her gloved hands together, she smiled upon seeing the light of her parents' home. However, as she got closer, she noticed something strange. The wooden steps had claw marks on them, and the door was slightly off its hinges. She ascended the small staircase, her heart pumping faster and faster from nervousness. Not only because of the strange marks, but because she was returning home well past her curfew. Her parents would be furious. _

_She opened the door as best she could, and slipped inside. However, the fear of her curfew vanished as soon as she saw the state of the house. It looked as though it had been torn apart by some kind of animal! Everything was shredded and torn. Worst of all, she could not see her parents anywhere. _

_Frantically, her eyes darted around the room, "Mother! Father! Where are you!?" she called in worry. _

_No answer came. Only silence. _

_However, that was soon broken by the sound of an animalistic snarl from behind her. She whirled around, and let out a horrified scream. A large wolf-like hellhound creature stood there, snarling at her. _

_Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that she was sure that the creature could hear it. She backed up, not being able to tear her eyes away from the creature, until she felt the cold wall pressed against her back. _

_Her breath came in short, fast gasps, and was visible because of the cold. Her mind whirled, thinking of how to defend herself. The wolf-creature approached slowly, licking its fangs, and she spied a long metal rod lying on the small nearby table. Not seeing any other kind of weapon, she snatched the rod up, and swung it at the creature. The first try was shaky and pathetic, as was the second, but the third had force behind it. She hit the wolf-creature again and again with the rod, annoying it and causing it to move backwards. _

_As they reached the kitchen, she noticed a sharp knife lying on the bench. She had never been one to resort to any form of violence, especially against an animal, but the thing that was threatening her was certainly no common animal. She grabbed the knife with the other hand, and struck out with it towards the creature. It scratched it, and the strange wolf snarled in pain. _

_She sliced the creature again, and then once more, before it backed further away. Then, to her surprise and relief, the terrifying wolf snorted at her, and then ran away out the other door, and away from the house. _

_Allowing herself a moment to breath, she let the occurrences fully sink in. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she cried into her hands. _

_That thing had killed her parents. _

Leah wiped away the few tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Genevieve found me a few minutes later. She said she'd seen what had happened, and said she could help me. Then, she…she cursed me. She cursed me not only to be immoral, but to be a Guardian. It was a year later that I realised that _she'd_ been the one who had hypnotized that Death-Wolf to kill my parents" she finished.

Everyone remained silent. They were all shocked.

Private inquired in a hushed, gentle tone, "H-How old are you really, Leah?"

She gave a small smirk, "Five thousand and four, give or take a century" she answered.

All of a sudden, Faith stiffened. She sniffed the air, and let out an animalistic low growl. Mina and Leah immediately looked at her, "What is it?" they asked in unison.

"It's them" she snarled.

All the girls muttered in unison, "Shit!"

Skipper asked, "Who is it?"

Mina responded, "The Illusion. They're here. Right now."

…

**Please review everyone! Please tell me what you think of Leah's backstory in this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A special thank you to Rainshadow999, for the lovely review! **

….

_Chapter 8 _

There was a tense silence for a few moments, before Mina spoke up. She said, her voice nothing above a whisper, "It's time."

Leah said, her voice sharp, but wavering with fright, "We need to find a disguise," she looked at the other two girls, "If they recognise you to," she shook her head, "I don't even want to think about what could happen."

Skipper nodded, and ordered swiftly, "Rico. Give these girls something _mysterious_ to hide in." The crazed penguin nodded, and coughed up three perfectly fitting black cloaks with red around the edges.

Faith smirked, "Sweet. These looks awesome" she said, putting on the cloak. Like the others, her hood stopped just above her eyes, but cast enough shadow to hide most of her face.

Mina, disguised by her cloak, muttered. "Come on. I know them, and they won't wait too long for us. They know we're here."

Private asked, "Wait. If they know you're here, why do you have to disguise yourselves?"

Leah answered, "Because they only know that someone has been killing them off, and that they need to be killed. They don't know that we're the ones who've been doing it, because we kill them too quickly for them to recognise any of us."

They stepped outside the zoo a few minutes later. Leah, Mina and Faith stood, cloaked, in front of the gates, and the penguins stood behind them. There was tense silence one again, and only the only sound was the soft wind as it caused fallen leaves to dance in the air.

All kept their eyes on the horizon, and their bodies were tense enough that they could snap. Kowalski asked, "Pardon me, but why do we have to be in front of the zoo?"

Skipper replied dryly, not meeting his eyes, "Because if a fight breaks out,"

Leah corrected curtly, refusing to look at him, "You mean _when_ a fight breaks out."

The leader continued, "Right. When a fight breaks out, we don't want The Illusion going into the zoo, just in case anyone gets hurt. It keeps any possible threats of harm, to a minimal."

All of a sudden, figures started to appear over the horizon. Some were clearly Death-Wolves, while others were vampires. But, curiously, some of the figures appeared to be…normal humans.

Leah growled, "The Illusion"

Faith nodded, shaking slightly, "Yep. They're here"

Suddenly, after only blinking, The Illusion were standing a little while away from the group. Mina growled. _Stupid super-speed ability. _

One of them, a vampire, stepped forward. He spoke with a growling undertone, "We have seen that you have killed many of our coven. Therefore, I'm afraid that you have to be punished. The punishment, as I'm sure you are well aware, is death by this coven" he said.

Faith snarled under her breath. _It's not a coven…it's a cult_. _A ruthless cult of cold-blooded killers_.

It seemed like an eternity, before the vampire spoke again. "Let the battle commence!" he announced.

The tension seemed to explode.

Leah lunged at one of the vampires, tackling her to the ground. The vampire hissed. Leah punched it in the face, before it could have a chance to make an attack. The sound of barking, snarling, and hissing filled her ears. The battle was all around her.

Standing, she whirled around, just in time to see a Death-Wolf lunge at her. Swiping her golden stake from her pocket, she stabbed the creature, killing it. Pulling the stake out of the creature's flesh, she did not even notice the black blood that dripped from the tip.

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of yelping from behind her. Turning, the girl saw a Death-Wolf attacking several others, killing them. She smirked. There was only one way that was possible. Faith. She'd phased to blend in.

All of a sudden, a pair of vampire arms wound around her, squeezing and crushing her. Leah squirmed in its grasp, before reaching around behind her. Swiftly, she used both hands to snap the vampire's neck. The limp body collapsed, allowing Leah to escape its hold.

Mina snarled, surrounded by vampires. _The irony. I'm going to kill my own kind_. She hissed menacingly, snapping several vampire's necks, and even taring some heads off. There was no bloody mess. Vampires died in the same way that stone broke.

There was also one, much easier, way that they died.

All of a sudden, Mina's cloak was grabbed from behind. She screamed in shock. A Death-Wolf had a large part of her cloak clamped between its teeth. It dragged the small vampire away. Her struggling was useless.

She continued struggling, however. Her eyes widened in fear at where the Death-Wolf was taking her. Despite the incredibly overcast day, there were still a few patches of sunlight. Sunlight. It was one the easiest ways to kill a vampire. Mina increased her struggling, silently praying for a miracle.

Skipper fought with great strength against his opponents. However, he quickly realised how different the Death-Wolves, vampires, and Demi-Demons were. Demi-Demons seemed like normal humans, but they had super strength and speed, and their eyes were crimson.

He punched a vampire. It tried to grab him. The leader shot up into the air and kicked it in the head. The vampire did not even flinch. Breathing heavily from having to fight so hard, Skipper spied a Guardian Sword not too far away. It had obviously been dropped by someone.

He darted over to it, picking the weapon up with ease, even though it was meant for a human. The commando penguin lunged at the vampire, immediately cutting of its head. The head bounced out of sight. The body fell to the ground in a heap.

Skipper, now equipped with a Guardian Sword, tore through the rest of his opponents with ease.

Faith, in her Death-Wolf form, found it relatively easy to fight. Especially since, at first, her enemies did not charge at her. _She_ charged at _them_. The half-breed, as soon as she had finished killing a Death-Wolf, heard a scream. Recognising it, she turned.

Her heart stopped.

Mina was being held by a Death-Wolf…in sunlight. The vampire screamed and cried in pain. Faith, with her heightened senses, could smell the burning of her flesh. She could hear how much her friend was in pain. Screaming in agony and thrashing to get away.

She saw red.

The half-breed ran at them. She lashed out, literally ripping through the evil vampire in seconds. Faith ran to Mina, carefully but quickly dragging her out of the sunlight. She laid her on the cool grass. Turning to the other Death-Wolf, she growled low in rage and leapt at it.

Mina sobbed softly, unable to move. Her body felt as though it had been through forty thousand sunburns. It was pure agony. _At least I stopped burning. Who saved me_? The answer came in the form of a familiar scent. She gave a little smile. _Faith. Faith saved my life_. That was her last thought, before she blacked out.

Meanwhile, Leah was ripping through the remaining Illusion. There were only four members left. She dealt with them quickly. The girl smiled, finally allowing herself to breath. It was over. The Illusion were gone.

However, her excitement was short lived.

In the complete silence, only the sound of whimpering could be heard. Faith, still in her Death-Wolf form, walked slowly towards an unconscious Mina. She nudged her with her nose, before whimpering further, and then laid down beside her. She rested her head right beside Mina's, and phased back into her human form. Faith, fully clothed with even her cloak, cried.

Leah slowly walked over, taking off her cloak and tossing it on the ground. She knelt beside her vampire friend, and sobbed quietly.

The penguins belly slid over, and all surrounded her. Looks of worry were on each of their faces. Private asked in between crying, "Wh-What happened?"

Faith looked at him, her eyes glazed with unshed tears. "She was grabbed and held in sunlight" she answered, breaking down into a crying fit as she did so.

All of a sudden, Mina's eyes fluttered. The vampire opened her eyes incredibly slowly, her gaze unfocused. However, as soon as her sight returned to normal, she smiled. Her voice was a mere whisper as she said, "Faith. You…you saved my life. Thank you."

The half-breed smiled, relief flooding her. "It was nothing. I'll always be here for you, Mina" she replied.

All of a sudden, Mina's gaze switched to Leah. She frowned, seeing her friend so quiet. "What's wrong?" she asked. _I'm okay. She shouldn't worry_.

The black haired girl shook her head. "It's nothing" she said dismissively.

"No, it's obviously not. What's the matter?" Mina pressed.

Leah sighed. Not meeting anyone's eyes, she said, "I…I saw him. I got attacked by the same Death-Wolf that killed my parents."

…

**Dun dun dun! **

**But, I'm so glad that Mina is alright! **

**Please stick around for the next chapter everyone! Oh, and did you like my battle scene? I haven't done too many of those, and I'm still figuring out how to do them well. Please tell me what you thought. I like feedback. **

**See you soon,**

**- Babetteisawesome. **


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9 _

Mina looked at her, "W-What? You saw _him_?!" she asked in shock.

Faith growled, "The bastard was lucky _I_ didn't get to him."

Leah replied, eyes narrowed, "He got away. I saw him run before I could actually fight him." _What a coward. Probably recognised me after he attacked me, and bolted. _

Private stammered in fear, "S-So a m-member of The Illusion is still o-out there?" _Oh dear_.

Faith, as she helped Mina stand, glanced at the small penguin. "It's alright. One Death-Wolf alone isn't nearly as strong as The Illusion was" she said reassuringly. With that said, she turned her attention completely on her vampire friend once again. Mina leant against her, unable to walk on her right leg, and her arms were draped over Faith's shoulders. She was so weak.

Skipper's usually hard expression, softened at the sight. _They really are close to each other_. He cleared his throat, "We should head back to HQ," he turned to Mina, "Kowalski will tend to you."

Mina was sitting on a bench, the penguin habitat, with a bandage around her wounded leg. Faith sat beside her, a look of pure concern on her face, "Are you alright now?" she asked softly.

The vampire sucked in a breath, "Yeah. The pain in my skin hasn't stopped, though. Neither has my weakness" she answered.

All of a sudden, the penguins jumped in front of them, seemingly from nowhere. Private smiled, and then it faded when he looked at Mina. Giving a little cry of surprise, he jumped back. _She doesn't look well at all_.

Mina, ignoring the small penguins expression of worry, asked, "Where have you guys been?"

Skipper answered, "Securing that the zoo won't be opened today. We can't risk anyone seeing you three."

Kowalski inquired, looking around, "Um, where is Leah?"

Mina answered, "In the time that we've known Leah, we've noticed something. She has a… different way of dealing with things like injury of her friends. She just needs to b alone for a while."

Private nodded, and then a question came to him. He asked, "Excuse me, but how long have you know each other?"

Faith explained. "Mina, Leah and I? Well. Mina and I have known each other since we were kids,"

Mina continued, "We grew up in an orphanage together. The orphanage was for people like us. Vampires, werewolves, half Death-Wolves like Faith…kids that nobody wanted because we were different."

_She clung to her mother's leg as they entered the strange place. It was a very large, old mansion that looked like it had been taken out of a horror movie. Even the area surrounding it gave off that appearance. The trees were bare and dark, the sky was a gloomy gray, and a crow was perched on the top of the staircase, that lead to the large front door. _

_Her mother ascended the staircase and knocked on the door. The crow beside her cawed, causing the young vampire increase the distance between them in fear. The door opened, and a tall, slim man appeared. He smiled a warm, inviting smile. "Good evening," he bent down to her, "Are you Mina?" _

_She nodded with a small smile, "Y-Yes sir" she answered timidly. The strange man, she decided, was not as scary as she had expected. _

_Her mother said to him, her tone completely businesslike. "Thank you again for taking her." _

_The man's expression softened further, "Must I really take her? She is only nine. Surely you can find some way to," _

_Her mother interrupted sharply, "My word is final. I don't want her." She cringed at the phrase. It had echoed in her mind for years, for she had heard her mother say it thousands of times to her father. _

_The strange man nodded solemnly, and then outstretched his hand to her. "Please come with me, dear Mina" he said. Shyly, she placed her hand in his, and saw how gigantic his hand looked compared to hers. _

_She glanced at her mother, who glowered down at her. "Go on, Mina" she instructed coldly. _

_The kind man led the little vampire inside, before glaring furiously at her mother, who gave him a look of indifference. Then, she walked away without turning back. _

_The man shut the door, and Mina, looking around, asked. "What is this place, sir?" _

_He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "This, dear Mina, is your new home" he answered softly. She nodded, but was still confused. New home? Did her mother sell her to the strange man? _

_The man in question took her hand in his once more, and placed a gentle kiss on it. Looking into her eyes, he asked seriously. "Do you know why you're here, dear Mina?"_

_She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, "B-Because my m-mommy doesn't w-want me" she sniffled. _

_The man nodded, but then smiled kindly at her, "But don't worry, my dear. This is an orphanage, where children are given good homes. I'll make it my mission to look after you" he said honestly. _

Private, close to tears because of the story, sniffled, "Th-That was so sad."

Skipper, who was beginning to tear up as well, muttered, "Stay strong, Private. Think manly thoughts."

Mina smiled, and continued, "He was indeed very nice. I soon found out that everyone called him Mr. Crestwood, because no one knew his first name, so that was what I called him. When I arrived, he sent Faith to show me around, and we talked along the way, because we were the same age."

Faith nodded, and added, "I'd been at the orphanage ever since I was a baby. My parents," she sniffled, attempting to fight back obvious tears, "M-My p-parents left me at Mr. Crestwood's d-doorstep, because they d-didn't w-want me." She took a deep breath, and finished, "The orphanage burnt down seven years after Mina arrived. Everyone escaped, but we got left behind. We met Leah a few days after she's been cursed. She didn't really trust us at first, but we became best friends, as you know."

Skipper, surrounded by too much sadness, belly slid away. _Leah wouldn't force me into teary-girly things. I'll find her. _

He found Leah a few minutes later. She was punching and kicking one of the padded walls outside the Children's Zoo, and doing so very impressively. Skipper observed her for a few moments, watching her movements as she managed several difficult kicks and punches. _So this is how she does it. She attacks stuff. _

Leah, after delivering a perfect roundhouse kick to the padded wall, sensed someone behind her. She stiffened, "Who's there?" she snapped.

The lead penguin walked out from his hiding space. He raised his flippers, "Relax soldier, it's just me" he answered.

Leah smiled, "Hey" she replied.

Skipper smirked, "Nice moves, by the way" he commented.

"it's how I deal with stuff" she responded with a shrug.

All of a sudden, the rest of the penguins rushed over. Private said, worry in his eyes, "Skipper! Faith just took off!"

Leah whirled around, "What!?" she asked in alarm.

Kowalski replied, "She sniffed the air, and must have smelt something because she growled, then phased into her Death-Wolf form and ran off."

The black haired girl shook her head, "She wouldn't leave Mina's side when she's in her current condition, not without a good reason" she said.

All of a sudden, Faith ran up to them, still in her Death-Wolf form. She looked at them all, her expression one of apology, before dropping something in front of them. She had held it in her teeth, and it looked like it had been ripped off of something.

Private picked it up, and gasped, "Sk-Skipper" he said in fear. The leader waddled over, and Leah and rest of the penguins crowded around the object.

A torn piece of blood red silk.

Leah locked eyes with Faith, who remained in her Death-Wolf form. The half-breed eyes narrowed, and she gave an abrupt nod. The black haired girl asked curtly, "Did you find this not far away?"

Faith nodded again, and growled low in her chest in anger.

Kowalski asked, "Did you smell her?" He received the same reply.

Leah said knowingly, "She smelt her, and then went after her. She tried to attack her, but Genevieve was too fast, so she only managed to grab a piece of her cloak." Faith nodded again, and smiled slightly.

Suddenly, a white streak of what looked like electricity flashed across the sky, towards the penguin habitat! Seconds later, a loud explosion erupted from the habitat. It sent mild tremors through the entire zoo. The group looked towards the habitat, and gasped. Smoke curled from the habitat, and the entire thing was as black as ash.

Alice immediately ran towards the habitat, screamed, and snatched her walkie-talkie from her pocket. She turned it on, and demanded into it, "What _happened_!?" She listened for a few moments, and then snapped, "Well, how am I supposed to know?!" The zookeeper tapped one of the pieces of broken habitat, and moved back instantly. "It looks like some sort of…electrical shock that caused something in the habitat to spark, and then blow it up," she scratched her head, "I haven't seen electrical wires do _this_ before" she said. With a shrug, she walked away, grumbling something about the amount of money the repairs would cost.

The penguins and girls walked out from their hiding space, and Kowalski said. "Skipper, by my calculations, it was no ordinary electricity failure."

Mina, who had seen the entire thing, narrowed her eyes, "Nope. It was Genevieve. This looks like _her_ work, since she has electricity magic."

Leah looked at the piece of blood red cloth that was in her hand. At that moment, one thing only was on her mind. Genevieve had done too much. Not only had she hypnotized a Death-Wolf to kill her parents, but she had the nerve to show up years later and try to kill her friends! A fire burned in her eyes, as they narrowed dangerously.

She wouldn't be the same. Not anymore. The girl dug into her pocket, and pulled out her Guardian Sword. Flicking her wrist so it would go to its full size, she sighed heavily. The sword had been given to her by the fox herself, so that she could kill Death-Wolves properly.

Leah laughed bitterly. She placed the piece of cloth on the ground, and sliced it once with the sword. Tightening her grip on the Guardian Sword, the young girl placed it in both hands, and traced the non-sharp edge with her thumb. The decision was made.

She was no longer just Leah, a cursed Guardian.

She was a mercenary.

A mercenary for herself.

Her mission was simple, but would give her great delight. She smiled sadistically at the sheer thought of it.

She would find Genevieve….

And she would make the bitch suffer for what she had done.

…

**There it is folks! Book 1 completed! Book 2 will be started soon. **

**_ALERT! ALERT! INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE! _**

**As you know, I have decided to add romance in the next book. But I can't decide who should get the guy! I'm trying to decide between Leah and Faith and it's REALLY HARD! Please help me! I will be forever grateful! Post who you think should get the guy, in a review, and why (if you want), and the most popular choice will be the girl that falls in love. PLEASE HELP ME! **

**P.S: The inspiration for Leah, came from a Beauty and the Beast fanfiction series I'm reading. It's called the "Claiming" series, and the author's version of Lumiere is a completely badass sort-of-mercenary. I based Leah somewhat on him. So, as a little disclaimer: any small similarities that you see between Leah and Winterstarfire's version of Lumiere, belongs to the wonderful Winterstarfire. **


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